New to Handguns want advice from people who know

Hi yall just started to get an interest in handguns been around them all my life my old man has tons but am looking into getting one and want to know several things. What caliber is good to start with if i want to (target shoot and use for home defense/concealed carry) what is most affordable (as far as ammo) and what brands and model are reliably biult and also priced? I am looking for a semi auto also. thanks for all the help

Welcome to the forum. Although I am also new... 9mm ammo is both affordable and has enough stopping power for home defense. I believe that Glocks and Sigs are very reliable, though Sigs tend to be a little pricier.

The Glock model 19 is an excellent choice for someone new to defensive firearms. It is a 9mm compact (between full-sized and sub-compact) semi-auto with decent capacity and a nice grip. The gun has no manual safeties to fumble with and goes bang EVERY time you squeeze the trigger. I'd recommend the pistol to anyone!

Hi yall just started to get an interest in handguns been around them all my life my old man has tons but am looking into getting one and want to know several things. What caliber is good to start with if i want to (target shoot and use for home defense/concealed carry) what is most affordable (as far as ammo) and what brands and model are reliably biult and also priced? I am looking for a semi auto also. thanks for all the help

Originally Posted by DevilsJohnson

Most new shooters would do well wit ha 22 for practice. If you are set on something with a little more bang then a 9mm seems to be the caliber of choice for most new shooters.

I agree with DJ's statement. The 22 with help you get used to the bang and is easy to shoot. I would also suggest you find a range that lets you rent and try a few different models. Some folks will suggest Glocks, Sigs, Walther, Beretta etc. But only you can decide on what fits your hand/wallet and skill level.

I completly dissagree with the glock choice. Dont get me wrong, I love glocks and have owned a couple myself including the model 23 that i currently cary. However as i have said under a few other threads, Glocks are a combat weapon with almost no safety at all. That said in my opinion if you are not a person who is used to handling a gun often and staying safe with them always, a glock in my opinion is a good way to hurt yourself or someone else with an A\D (accidental discharge). Now my wife is new to guns and i just got her a bersa thunder 380. Its a smaller gun but fits my hand ok, shoots fine and they can be found new for around $350.00.
As for target shooting, concealed carry, and home defense. You are talking about three diffrent guns. A good accurate gun for sport shooting is gonna have a long barrel, which makes it not so good for concealment. And, for home defense nothing beats a 12 gauge pump. The sound of the rack alone will drive out the most hardened criminals.
In closing i would say find something small and reliable for concealment that leaves your budget with about $300 for a remington 870 or mossberg 500. now that you have those two taken care of take some time and look for a gun that you will cherrish and enjoy shooting for fun at the range.

Safety:
1when you pick up a gun if your finger is on the trigger you are wrong.
2 if ANYONE clears a gun then hands it to you YOU clear the gun again.
3 NEVER point a gun or even waive a gun past anyone no matter how much you are sure its empty.(GUNS ARE NEVER EMPTY)
4 When you get your gun learn everything there is to know about it. Including how to do a detailed brakedown of the slide, grip, and magazine.
5 The day you think your safe enough with a gun is the day you will have an A\D.

I am not trying to be condecending here. I have been around guns all my life and shot them for 21 years and i tell myself all these things everytime i touch a gun.

Yea I do have experience with 22 handguns the walther p22 in particular. I like it but i want something that i can use for home defense. Due to the price of ammo now im kinda leaning towards a 9mm. I have seen a lot of stuff about glock but what else is there that is affordably priced and well biult?

...i want to...target shoot and use for home defense/concealed carry...

This definitely sounds like a compact-sized weapon will suit your needs just fine. It's large enough to allow you to put rounds on target and small enough to conceal. Take my word for it, initial exposure to shooting a subcompact is going to be embarrassing.

The Glock 19 has got to be the most popular compact handgun in existence. While I am not a fan of Glocks, mostly due to the grips, this is one of the few Glocks I can shoot without any issues; the model 19 has a size which feels "just right." Find one, new or used, should be no problem.

I would not pay any attention to the lack of manual safety on Glocks. ALL firearms should be treated with great respect and care. In doing so, lack of a manual safety is irrelevant. Check the firearm for loaded ammunition anytime you pick it up or put it away. Keep your firearms securely locked and out of plain sight. Always treat the weapon as if it was loaded. Never point the weapon at anything unless you intend to shoot. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot. These are not hard concepts. Practice these maxims religiously and you will be fine with a Glock or a 1911.

Originally Posted by Aueagle

Yea I do have experience with 22 handguns the walther p22 in particular. I like it but i want something that i can use for home defense. Due to the price of ammo now im kinda leaning towards a 9mm. I have seen a lot of stuff about glock but what else is there that is affordably priced and well biult?

I think the 9mm is ideal considering the way things are at present, although finding ammo to buy at all has become a chore as well.

[Edit]: After re-reading "lack of safety is irrelevant," I decided this could be interpreted in the exact opposite manner I tried to describe so I changed it (in green now).

Welcome to the site. Iím going to go against the grain and suggest a 40 cal handgun. Thereís not much recoil difference between the 9mm and 40mm. But the stopping power difference is huge. If youíve never fired a gun go to the gun range and try a few out.

Welcome to the site. I’m going to go against the grain and suggest a 40 cal handgun. There’s not much recoil difference between the 9mm and 40mm. But the stopping power difference is huge. If you’ve never fired a gun go to the gun range and try a few out.

I only went with a 9mm over a .40-cal for home/self defense due to the cost of practice ammo. If .40-cal ammo were $20/100, I'd own one. If you can't afford to shoot it often, you won't, and you won't be as comfortable/capable when you need to be.

I shoot Brass eagle through my glock .40 for practice. Its not the greatest ammo out there but it dosnt seem to cause any jams or misfires, and it isnt hurting the gun. You can pick up a box of 50 at wal mart for $13.00 before tax. At that price im not shooting 200 rounds a week or anything but i can get in some practice when i want. You dont have to plink with what you carry save the jacketed hollow point +p's for two mags you carry. Throw the cheap stuff down range.

There is no such thing as stopping power with regards to handguns. Also, the performance difference between modern 9mm JHP and .40S&W rounds are very minor. There is nothing the .40 can do that the 9mm cannot. I will add that I carried a .40S&W caliber as a police officer but later switched to a 9mm and never regretted it. I was a firearms instructor for several years and saw a lot of info on shootings but never saw anything that really convinced me that the .4o was any better than the 9mm. I have personally seen the effects of the 9mm and it did the job just fine.

All that being said, if the OP is set on a .40, then that is what he should get.

A few more comments - the Glock actually does have safeties. In fact, there is no way it will discharge unless you pull the trigger. And guess what - if you are pulling the trigger, you would be doing so in order to make a bullet come out of the far end of the barrel, which is what it is in fact designed to do. IOW, treat a Glock like a revolver. Revos don't have safeties because they do not go off unless the trigger is pulled. Also, no safety switch in the world will prevent a human from pulling the trigger when they should not have. If you start to rely on the presence of a safety lever in order to keep you from accidentally discharging a weapon, then you are just an accident waiting to happen.

A .40 does have more energy than does a 9mm, but a .40 won't penetrate any deeper than a good nine. People are always given to the idea that "more is better", but in this case there isn't enough of a difference between 9mm and .40 to make a difference in a defense situation. All a .40 will allow you to do is punch holes that are .02" larger, but not any deeper (and of course empty your wallet a lot quicker too).

Something else to consider, and already mentioned, is that a nine will allow you to possibly shoot more, which means more proficiency. It will also allow you to carry a few more rounds of ammo, depending on what you get. I would much rather have an extra round or two of a good 9mm HP over a handgun that carries fewer .40's.

A .40 does have more energy than does a 9mm, but a .40 won't penetrate any deeper than a good nine. People are always given to the idea that "more is better", but in this case there isn't enough of a difference between 9mm and .40 to make a difference in a defense situation. All a .40 will allow you to do is punch holes that are .02" larger, but not any deeper (and of course empty your wallet a lot quicker too).

Something else to consider, and already mentioned, is that a nine will allow you to possibly shoot more, which means more proficiency. It will also allow you to carry a few more rounds of ammo, depending on what you get. I would much rather have an extra round or two of a good 9mm HP over a handgun that carries fewer .40's.

PhilR.

*debateable as to whether or not they are "affordable".

I love this argument..That is exactly my opinion Phil..Couldn't put it better.

Yea i have heard a lot about the 40's my buddy has one and he always @#$% about the price of the ammo. Im pretty set on a 9mm just picking the one I want is the key. I guess i need to just go rent some at the range. Can anyone tell me what I dont want tho? Guns to stay away from?

I may get crucified by some for saying this but I would steer clear from Taurus. Two friends of mine both bought Taurus new and both failed in a month's time. When I say failed, I mean FAILED. One was a 24/7 whose firing pin snapped, and one was a snubnose 357 mag whose internal hammer snapped. Save the extra $100-200 and get a more reputable weapon.

There is no such thing as stopping power with regards to handguns. Also, the performance difference between modern 9mm JHP and .40S&W rounds are very minor. There is nothing the .40 can do that the 9mm cannot. I will add that I carried a .40S&W caliber as a police officer but later switched to a 9mm and never regretted it. I was a firearms instructor for several years and saw a lot of info on shootings but never saw anything that really convinced me that the .4o was any better than the 9mm. I have personally seen the effects of the 9mm and it did the job just fine.

All that being said, if the OP is set on a .40, then that is what he should get.

I find it hard to believe that a larger bullet (40) will not yield more damage than a smaller one (9mm).